NOSTOS
Mobile App · UX/UI Case Study
Role
UX/UI Designer (end to end)
Client
DESTSETTERS
Dates
September 2022
Tools
Figma, Miro
Outcome
Final design
The final high-fidelity booking flow, shaped by research and usability testing. Click any screen to see it in full. The full process follows below.
Home: dates sit right under the destination, with Step-free and Eco quick filters.
Results: Eco and Step-free badges on every hotel card.
Hotel page: a high-contrast Accessibility block right below the dates.
Book local activities: add a workshop to the stay in one tap.
Activities: filter by step-free access and category, with a live total.
Review & confirm: a participants stepper and a full price summary.
Confirmed: the Eco-Pass explains where to show the QR code.
01 · Empathize
Empathize
Personas
Two archetypes built from interviews with four eco-travelers.
AP
Aliki Papadopoulou
31 · Athens · Freelance graphic designer
The Eco Explorer
“I want to travel respecting the environment and the place, and find authentic local traditions without fighting hard-to-read apps.”
Goals
• Find stays with verifiable eco practices, not greenwashing
• Discover and add local workshops, like pottery, easily
• Read the screen outdoors: high contrast, clear type
Frustrations
• Astigmatism: thin, low-contrast text in sunlight
• Vague eco claims with no measurable data
• Matching workshop times with her stay across sites
PD
Panos Dimitriou
47 · Athens · Engineer, father of two (3 & 6)
The Family Planner
“We want quality, carefree holidays with step-free access, booking everything easily and fast.”
Goals
• Know for sure the place is stroller-accessible
• Combine a kids’ clay workshop with a wine tasting
• Book room and activities in one quick checkout
Frustrations
• Accessibility info missing or hidden on hotel sites
• Long, multi-step booking across many providers
• Fear of unexpected stairs on arrival
Summary
I interviewed four travelers about how they find eco-friendly stays and plan local experiences. I assumed they pick a hotel for its look; instead, verified eco practices, readability in bright light and clear physical accessibility decided whether they booked.
What participants told me
“When I try to book a pottery workshop on my phone in the sun, I can’t see anything if the text is light or thin.”
“If booking the room and the activities doesn’t take 3 minutes, I’ll give up, because the kids are shouting.”
Pain points
Greenwashing. Eco claims can’t be verified.
Sun glare. Small, low-contrast text is unreadable outdoors.
Hidden obstacles. No information on stairs, ramps or lifts.
Fragmented booking. Rooms and activities live on different sites.
User journey maps
Both journeys dipped at the same moment: checking eco claims and accessibility. Each low point became a design opportunity.
User journey maps · Aliki & Panos
From searching on the phone to arriving on the island. Both journeys dip at the same moment.
● Aliki · The Eco Explorer
● Panos · The Family Planner
01
Search
Aliki feels
▲ Neutral · eyes tired in the sun
Panos feels
▼ Low · pressed for time
Opportunity
High-contrast UI, large tap targets, Step-free & Family filters on search
02
Check eco & access
Aliki feels
▼ Lowest · wary of greenwashing
Panos feels
▼ Low · anxious about hidden stairs
Opportunity
Verified eco badges with real data, explicit accessibility badges
03
Choose a room
Aliki feels
▲ Positive
Panos feels
● Neutral, improving
Opportunity
Comparison view with eco features, floor plan & step-free route
04
Add activities
Aliki feels
▲ Positive
Panos feels
▲ Positive
Opportunity
Workshop add-on right after the room, ‘Family Combo’ for kids & parents
05
Book
Aliki feels
▲ Positive
Panos feels
▲ Positive
Opportunity
Transparent price breakdown, one-step checkout
06
Arrive
Aliki feels
▲ Calm and organised
Panos feels
▲ Calm and organised
Opportunity
One-tap Add to Calendar, offline Eco-Pass & family guide
User journey map · Panos
From filtering for a family of four to arriving with the stroller, stress-free.
01
Search & filter
Doing
Enters dates for 2 adults + 2 kids, looks for a step-free filter
Feeling
▼ Pressed for time, impatient
Opportunity
Smart “Family” and “Step-free” filters on the home search
02
Check access
Doing
Checks photos for stairs and ramps, lift info, beach distance
Feeling
▼ Anxious about obstacles
Opportunity
Accessibility badge, e.g. “100% stroller friendly”
03
Family room
Doing
Compares capacity and layout, picks a ground-floor room
Feeling
▲ Relieved, decisive
Opportunity
Floor plan with clear floor and step-free route
04
Combine activities
Doing
Finds a kids’ clay workshop and a parents’ wine tasting, same time
Feeling
▲ Excited, satisfied
Opportunity
“Family Combo” that pairs kids’ and parents’ activities
05
Quick checkout
Doing
Checks one total price, pays with Apple / Google Pay
Feeling
▲ Relief, confidence
Opportunity
Express one-click checkout that saves progress
06
Arrive
Doing
Gets one voucher, checks stroller-friendly directions
Feeling
▲ Carefree, ready
Opportunity
Digital family guide: parking, ramps, kid spots
02 · Define · Problem
Define
From problem to goal
How the research findings were framed into a testable direction for Nostos.
01 · Problem statement
What’s broken
Eco-conscious travelers and families with young children need an easy-to-read platform for booking stays and activities in one place, because they distrust vague eco claims, struggle to read screens in sunlight and fear hidden obstacles like stairs.
Aliki · trust & readability
Panos · access & speed
↓
02 · Hypothesis
What we bet on
If users get verifiable eco badges, a high-contrast interface and clear physical accessibility info, then they will plan their stay and local workshops in one flow, trusting the hotel and without worrying about unexpected obstacles.
↓
Problem statement
Eco-conscious travelers and families with young children need an easy-to-read platform for booking stays and activities in one place, with verified sustainability data and clear accessibility labels, because they distrust vague eco claims, struggle to read screens in strong sunlight and fear hidden obstacles like stairs.
Goal & success metrics
Nostos will let travelers find certified eco-stays, check visual and physical accessibility and book a room plus local workshops together. Success is measured by more combined bookings, shorter time to book and fewer drop-offs at checkout.
03 · Goal
How we’ll know
Nostos lets travelers find certified eco-stays, check visual and physical accessibility, and book a room plus local workshops together.
↑ More combined bookings
↓ Shorter time to book
↓ Fewer checkout drop-offs
Value proposition
One accessible place to book a verified eco-stay and authentic local experiences.
1
Visible eco badges
Measurable sustainability data instead of marketing claims.
• Zero plastic
• Renewable energy
• Local supply chain
For Aliki
trusts the stay without research on other sites.
2
One booking flow
The stay and local experiences in a single plan, paid once.
• Activities suggested after the room
• One total price, no hidden fees
• Calendar sync and Eco-Pass
For Panos
books the family room and both workshops in minutes.
3
Accessible by design
Readable in bright sunlight and clear about physical access.
• WCAG contrast, large touch targets
• Step-free and stroller-friendly tags
• Floor and lift info up front
For both
no squinting, no surprise stairs on arrival.
04 · Prototype & Test
Lo-fi wireframes
The tested low-fidelity flow, from search to confirmation. Click any screen to see it in full.
Home: the search card comes first, with travel features and local experiences below.
Search results: a simple list with sort, accessibility and sustainability filters.
Hotel profile: gallery, dates and a first accessibility section.
Activities pop-up: local workshops suggested right after tapping Book.
Review & confirm: stay and activity in one basket, with a price summary.
Confirmed: the Eco-Pass QR, calendar sync and wallet in one place.
06 · Takeaways
Takeaways
What I learned
Accessibility is not a feature to add at the end. Once I treated “can I read it in the sun?” and “are there stairs?” as core questions, the structure of the whole app changed. Testing taught me the rest: small placement decisions, like where the dates sit or where a badge appears, decide whether people trust the flow. Research moved the focus from aesthetics to trust and clarity.
Next steps
Test the hi-fi prototype with a larger, more diverse group, including screen-reader users.
Design the responsive website so the same flow works on desktop.
Refine the high-contrast mode and run a full WCAG audit on every screen.